The Democratic Surround: Multimedia and American Liberalism from World War II to the Psychedelic Sixties

The Democratic Surround traces how American social scientists, artists, and media theorists developed new multimedia techniques to combat fascism during World War II. Turner documents their creation of immersive, multi-screen environments designed to foster democratic personalities through participatory experiences. The book follows these media experiments from wartime propaganda efforts through their evolution in postwar America at museums, world's fairs, and other cultural institutions. Key figures include anthropologist Margaret Mead, psychologist Gordon Allport, Black Mountain College founder John Cage, and designer Charles Eames. The narrative extends into the 1960s counterculture, examining how these democratic multimedia techniques influenced the era's art happenings, light shows, and experimental film. Turner draws connections between the original antifascist aims of these media forms and their later adoption by the psychedelic movement. This cultural history reveals how ideas about democracy, citizenship, and consciousness became embedded in multimedia environments that still shape contemporary media experiences. The book raises important questions about the relationship between media design, individual psychology, and political systems.

Readers note the book's detailed research into how American intellectuals and artists developed multimedia techniques to fight totalitarianism after WWII. Many appreciate the connections Turner draws between 1940s propaganda efforts and 1960s multimedia art. Liked: - Clear explanation of how democratic ideals shaped media evolution - Documentation of lesser-known figures in multimedia history - Links between government propaganda and avant-garde art Disliked: - Dense academic writing style - Too much focus on theory vs. concrete examples - Some readers found the World War II sections repetitive One reader called it "fascinating but occasionally hard to follow," while another noted it "fills important gaps in media history." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (43 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (12 ratings) Google Books: 4/5 (3 ratings) Most critical reviews focus on the academic tone, with one Amazon reviewer stating "important ideas buried in unnecessary jargon."

From Counterculture to Cyberculture by Fred Turner Traces how Stewart Brand and the Whole Earth network transformed countercultural ideals into the techno-utopian ethos of Silicon Valley.

The Organization Man by William H. Whyte Examines how corporate culture and conformity shaped American society and individual identity in the postwar period.

Cold War Civil Rights by Mary L. Dudziak Documents the intersection of civil rights activism and U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War as America sought to counter Soviet criticism.

Sensorium by Caroline A. Jones Chronicles the evolution of multimedia art and bodily experience in modern culture through the lens of installation art and experimental exhibitions.

Media and the American Mind by Daniel J. Czitrom Maps the development of modern communications technologies and their impact on American consciousness from the telegraph to television.

🎯 The concept of the "democratic surround" was developed as a direct response to Nazi propaganda techniques, with American intellectuals seeking to create media experiences that would foster democratic mindsets rather than authoritarian ones. 🎨 Before writing this book, Fred Turner was actually a journalist for the Boston Phoenix and worked in software development, bringing unique technological and media insights to his academic work. 🌟 The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) played a crucial role in developing multimedia environments in the 1940s, with exhibitions designed to help viewers become more democratic citizens through their interaction with art. 🎬 The democratic surround techniques discussed in the book heavily influenced the famous 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow, where the United States used multiple screens and immersive environments to showcase American life to Soviet citizens. 🌀 The multimedia principles developed during this period directly influenced the 1960s counterculture, including the famous "Be-Ins" and happenings, though they emerged from a very different political context than most people assume.